Integrating mechanism



April 16, 1946. B. E. sALTzMAN INTEGRATING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1943 2 SheelS-Shee(l 2 INVEN TOR.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1946 UNITED y sTATEs PATENT oEFicE ,.=.lfff....1.3Lma" The object of this invention is to provide a novel 'and improved apparatus for the integration of the value of a variable element with respect to time. The invention is embodied in a mechanism including a shaft which is driven uniformly by a suitable timing mechanism such as a clock, Another shaft is rotated in proportion to the movements of the variable element which is vto be integrated. Suitable clutch and gear' mechanisms are operated by the said two shafts whereby to operate a counting ldevice for indicating the result of the integrating operation. The apparatus may be used for the purpose of integrating rates in a wide variety Iof instruments in order to obtain or give total values. For example, the apparatus may be used for converting rates of speed, steam, air and water consumption, etc. intototal quantities. In the drawings illustrating the invention l Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and partly broken away of an integrating apparatus em'- bodying the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are bottom views of a clutch gear, trip lever and associated parts shown in Fig. 1, showing these elements in two different positions.

Figs. 4 and 5 are top views of the clutch gear and associated parts in two different positions.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the clutch drive shown in Figs. l to 5.

Figs. l and 8 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the apparatus.

Referring first to Fig. 1 the integrator 6 is contained within a casing A telemotor is suitably connected to the variable element, not shown, so as to duplicate the movements thereof by rotation. 'I'he motor drives a worm ||2 which the spokes of the gear Ils es indicated et |21. Secured to the shaft ||4 on the upper side of the clutch gear ||3 is an inner clutchdrum `|2|| adapted to be engaged by and driven by the inner driving surfaces of three clutch shoes |23, Fig. 4. An outer clutch drum |33 is suitably mounted to rotate about but not with the shaft ||4. The outer drum is adapted to be engaged by and driven by the outer driving surfaces of the three clutch shoes |23, Fig. 5,.

The clutch shoes are pivoted at |3| upon the v upper side of the gear ||3 and each shoe has a slot |32 in which moves a pin |33, the-three pins |33 being carried by the synchronizing ring |26.

rotates a worm gear ||3 which rotates about but not with a gear shaft ||4. The gear ||3 carries a trippin ||5 hereinafter called the movable trip. The pin is positioned in operativepositions by the rotations of the gear ||3 according to the variable measurements of the movements of the variable. 'A fixed trip pin IIS is suitably secured to the casing H0. ShaftA is uniformly driven from a suitable clock mechanism, not shown, and this shaft operates the integrator. The shaft ||1 drives a gear ||3in mesh with a clutch gear IIB which also rotates about but not with the shaft i|4. 'I'he clutch gear carries on its lower side a pivoted trip lever |20 with two trip arms |2| and |22. The lever has a third depending arm |23, Fiss. 2 and 3, which alternately engages two pins |24 and |23 carried on a synchronizing ring |23 to rotate the latter back and forth circumferentially. The ring |23 is siidabiy supported in Thus the two pins |24 and |25, Fig. 2, point in one direction away fromy the ring |26. llhefthree pins |33 point in the opposite direction from the alternately by engaging thetwo trip pins ||3 and ||8 as will be explained. The final movement of the trip lever is a quick flip accomplished by a suitable spring |34 in a well known manner. Thus the clutch shoes are thrown quickly from 'one clutch drum into engagement with the other clutch drum. f The pressure of the clutch shoes on either drum is provided by the action of springs |35 operatively attached to the shoes and to the clutch gear as shown. Referring back to Fig. 1 the outer clutch drum is carried by a gear |36 in mesh with a gear |31 which rotates a counter shaft |33 clockwise, the counter not being shown. A train of gears |33, |40 and |4| drives the shaft |33 counter-clockwise directly from the shaft ||4 on which the inner drum is fast. The train of driving elements in the clutch mechanism may now be conveniently traced as follows. Fig. V6. From the clock gear I3 to clutch gear IB, vla clutch shoes |23 to the inner clutch drum |28, to gears |33, |40, |4| to counter shaft |33. When the clutch shoes are thrown on the' outer drum the drive is from the gear ||3 to clutch gear H3, via the clutch shoes |23 to outer drum |33, its gear |36 and gear |31 to the shaft |38. It will later be shown that the net difference between the forward and backward rotations of the counter shaft |33 is the distance in feet travelled up or down as measured by the altitude meter.

The following is a brief explanation of the operation of the integrator mechanism. The trip pins lili and ||8 are freely rotating rollers which trip or throw the trip lever from one side to the ring. The trip lever |20 moves from the onel other when the trip arms I2| or |22 engage the pins. The position of the movable trip IIE is determined by the turning of its supporting gear I I3 which is operated from the telemotor I I I, the maximum motion of gear H3 being 180 degrees either way from neutral. The trip arm i2| is acted upon by the trip i IS While the trip arm I22 is acted upon by the trip H5, the arms and pins being in diiierent corresponding planes as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig.. 7, where the trip II5 is shown in neutral position, the clutch gear is rotated counter-clockwise and the arm I2I has just struck the trip IIS to throw the trip lever to the right and the ,clutch shoes are now driving the inner clutch drum which drives the counter forward. The arm I22 now extends beyond the edge of the gear II9. After 180 degrees of rotation the arm I.22 will strike the trip H5 and trip the lever |20 to the left. Now the shoes engage the outer drum which drives the counter backwards. The counter has therefore been driven 180 degrees forward and 180 degrees backward or a net motion of zero.

When it is desired to integrate a selected variable, the telemotor III is connected to the variable so as to duplicate by rotations the movements of the variable. The clock shaft II`I is connected to a time clock mechanism to be driven thereby for integrating the variable with respect to time. During the operation the gear II3 is therefore rotated in proportion to the value of the variable. By way of the operations of the clutch and the gearing means the final net movement resulting :from these operations is shown and may be read upon the counter.

I claim: -V1f.'*l'ra'pparatus for integrating the value of a variable with respect to time, a uniformly rotating gear, a shaft about which said gear is freely rotatable, a counter, reversing clutch for transmitting the rotations of said gear to said counter comprising a rst clutch drum fast on said shaft, a second clutch drum supported to rotate freely about said shaft, clutch shoes mounted on said uniformly rotating gear and adapted to alternately engage the said two clutch drums, a tripping lever pivoted on said uniformly rotating `gear for operating the clutch shoes to alternately engage the one clutch drum to rotate Said counter in one direction and to alternately engage the other clutch drum to rotate said counter in the opposite direction, a plurality of gears for transmitting the rotations of the said two clutch drums, respectively, to the said counter to-operate the same in opposite directions asaforesaid, a fixed trip and a movable trip for timing the operations of said tripping lever and mechanism for operating said movable trip with respect to the said tripping lever to actuate the latter in proportion to the value of the variable being integrated.

2. In apparatus for integrating the value of a variable with respect to time, a gear, means for rotating said gear at a. speed representative of time, a shaft about which said gear ls freely rotatable, a counter for indicating the value of the variable being integrated, a reversing clutch for transmitting the rotations of said gear to said counter comprising an inner clutch drum fast on the said shaft, an outer clutch drum supported to rotate freely about the said shaft, clutch snoes mounted on said time driven gear and adapted to alternately engage the said clutch drums, tripping means on said gear for operating the clutch shoes to alternately engage the said clutch drums to rotate the counter in alternate opposite directions, a plurality of gears for transmitting the rotations of the said inner and outer clutch drums, respectively, to the said counter to operate the same in opposite directions as aforesaid, a iixed trip adapted to be engaged by said tripping means to operate the same to move the said clutch shoes into engagement with the said inner clutch drum, a movable trip adapted to engage said tripping means to move the said clutch shoes into engagement with the said outer clutch drum and means actuated in proportion to the value being integrated for operating the said movable trip.

3. in apparatus according to claim 2, a spring on each of said clutch shoes for shifting the same instantaneously from the one clutch drum to the other clutch drum when the said clutch shoes are actuated by the said tripping means.

4. In apparatus for integrating the value of a variable with respect t0 time, a counter for indicating the value of the variable being integrated, a uniformly driven gear, a second gear, means for oscillating the second gear in proportion to the value oi the variable being integrated, a rotatable reversing clutch for operating said counter in response to the movements of the said two gears, respectively, a tripping device mounted on said uniformly driven gear for operating the said clutch, a iixed trip element adapted to be engaged by the said tripping device to cause the latter to operate the said clutch rotatably in one direction, a second trip element mounted upon said oscillating gear and adapted to engage said tripping device to cause the same to operate the said clutch rotatably in the opposite direction and gearing for transmitting the rotations of said reversing clutch to the said counter.

5. In apparatus for integrating the value of a variable with respect to time, a counter for indicating the value of the variable being integrated, a timing gear, means for driving the same uniformly at a speed representative of time, a device for transmitting the rotations of the timing gear to the said counter to operate the latter alternately in an additive direction and in a. subtractive direction, a tripping lever carried by and rotatable with said timing gear, a trip element iixedly mounted with relation to said tripping lever and adapted to be engaged by said lever to cause the said transmitting device to operate the counter in the additive direction, a movable trip element adapted to engage said tripping lever to cause said-transmitting device to operate the counter in the subtractive direction and a gear connected to said movable trip element to operate 

